Letters to the editor - Oct. 9, 2012

Published: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 11:21 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 11:21 a.m.

Opponents of the stadium echo Bush I, "Read my lips. No new taxes." Not even five dollars a month. Not much wiggle room there. Space here is short. This is history. Look long.

The dividends of baseball on the Cape Fear for the next few decades twinkle in the distance: A major, yet affordable, public coliseum. New civic infrastructure for beach, meeting, filming and other activities. Complements and hedges beach market. Enhanced riverfront.

Consider, too: Substantial partners in the Braves … and the sports entertainment firm Mandalay, which also teamed with Magic Johnson in the $2 billion L.A. Dodger deal. Commitments. Motivation.

About 20 year ago, baseball deftly left the baseball business and entered family entertainment, a much larger market. Wilmington has families, as do our neighbors and guests within a 50-mile semicircle. Will visiting dads and grandpas take 'em out to the ball game? Yes, perhaps perennially.

Now this: We can actually do it. Consider a billion-dollar bridge, $2 billion for ports, and (the cost of) nuclear power. … The team in Lynchburg, Va., drew 167,000 people last year. Wilmington aims at 300,000. Energetic, but possible.

I certainly am glad that we'll get a chance to vote on whether to build a baseball stadium for the city.

How I will vote depends on what the full proposal looks like when it's complete, hopefully before Nov. 6, but at least I don't have to worry about some hotheads stealing my choice with an ill-conceived and poorly executed petition drive.

Bob Nichol, Wilmington

One fountain, two problems addressed

Just a suggestion for the Riverfront Park Azalea Festival water feature design competition: Move the Kenan Fountain to that space.

It solves two problems!

Dolores Gallant, Wilmington

We will welcome this kind of noise

I found it very thoughtful that Col. T.J. Jamison, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade commander, offered apologies to the Wilmington community for the noise some of us may hear during the next few weeks as helicopters returning from deployment in Afghanistan are shipped to the port and then flown out to Fort Bragg.

The colonel owes us no apologies. I'm just glad our men and women are coming home and will find the sound of their return a fitting closure on a war that has gone on far too long.

<p><b>Baseball will pay big dividends</b></p><p>Opponents of the stadium echo Bush I, "Read my lips. No new taxes." Not even five dollars a month. Not much wiggle room there. Space here is short. This is history. Look long.</p><p>The dividends of baseball on the Cape Fear for the next few decades twinkle in the distance: A major, yet affordable, public coliseum. New civic infrastructure for beach, meeting, filming and other activities. Complements and hedges beach market. Enhanced riverfront. </p><p>Consider, too: Substantial partners in the Braves … and the sports entertainment firm Mandalay, which also teamed with Magic Johnson in the $2 billion L.A. Dodger deal. Commitments. Motivation. </p><p>About 20 year ago, baseball deftly left the baseball business and entered family entertainment, a much larger market. Wilmington has families, as do our neighbors and guests within a 50-mile semicircle. Will visiting dads and grandpas take 'em out to the ball game? Yes, perhaps perennially.</p><p>Now this: We can actually do it. Consider a billion-dollar bridge, $2 billion for ports, and (the cost of) nuclear power. … The team in Lynchburg, Va., drew 167,000 people last year. Wilmington aims at 300,000. Energetic, but possible.</p><p>Risk? Yes. When not? Ask this: Could it work? </p><p>It isn't baseball, it's families. Yours, mine, theirs and ours. And our moment in time.</p><p>"No," is nothing. "Yes," history.</p><p>Perry Fisher, Wilmington</p><p><b>How will I vote? I'll choose.</b></p><p>I certainly am glad that we'll get a chance to vote on whether to build a baseball stadium for the city.</p><p>How I will vote depends on what the full proposal looks like when it's complete, hopefully before Nov. 6, but at least I don't have to worry about some hotheads stealing my choice with an ill-conceived and poorly executed petition drive.</p><p>Bob Nichol, Wilmington</p><p><b>One fountain, two problems addressed</b></p><p>Just a suggestion for the Riverfront Park <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/entertainment10"><b>Azalea Festival</b></a> water feature design competition: Move the Kenan Fountain to that space.</p><p>It solves two problems!</p><p>Dolores Gallant, Wilmington</p><p><b>We will welcome this kind of noise </b></p><p>I found it very thoughtful that Col. T.J. Jamison, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade commander, offered apologies to the Wilmington community for the noise some of us may hear during the next few weeks as helicopters returning from deployment in Afghanistan are shipped to the port and then flown out to Fort Bragg.</p><p>The colonel owes us no apologies. I'm just glad our men and women are coming home and will find the sound of their return a fitting closure on a war that has gone on far too long. </p><p>Christopher Smith, Burgaw</p>